All News

April 03, 2009

Virginia Seminar Focuses On Advocacy Efforts

Representatives from various airports across the state came
together March 28 at the Virginia Aviation Museum to discuss
promoting aviation in the current economic climate. The seminar,
"Promoting Aviation in Challenging Times," was hosted by the
Virginia Department of Aviation (DOAV). Topics included event
planning, airport advocacy, DOAV's Aviation Promotion Program and
media resources.

GAO Criticized IG Earlier This Year

Three months after being criticized in a Government
Accountability Office report, NASA Inspector General Robert Cobb
submitted a letter of resignation to the White House on Thursday.
President Barack Obama accepted Cobb's resignation, which is
effective April 11.

Goal Is To Build 485 Planes For Year... Hopefully, No "White
Tails"

Despite significant layoffs and the continuing efforts to
recover from a crippling machinists strike last year, Boeing posted
an impressive 5.2 percent gain in the number of commercial airliner
deliveries in the first quarter of this year, over 2008 levels.

As Oil Prices Climb Again, May Gamble To Recoup Losses

Airline execs who got too aggressive hedging fuel last July --
when oil was trading at $147 a barrel -- found themselves unable to
reap the benefits when that price plummeted 75 percent in the last
quarter of 2008.

Engine Upgrade Adds As Much As 150 SHP To Airframe

StandardAero and Fort Lauderdale-based Banyan Air Service have
signed a support center agreement, authorizing Banyan as a
StandardAero-approved installation facility for the Cessna Caravan
208-series aircraft engine-upgrade program.

Lithium Nanophosophate Technology Much Lighter Than
Competitors

Mid-Continent Instruments introduces the industry's first
emergency power supply featuring Lithium Nanophosphate technology.
The MD800 Series automatically provides power for standby equipment
during aircraft power loss or interruption. The MD835 may be used
as a direct replacement for older Goodrich PS-835 units.

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American Airlines Jet Made Safe Emergency Landing At STL

The National Transportation Safety Board will hold a public
Board meeting next week on its investigation into a
2007 accident inwhich the crew of an American Airlines MD-82,
which experienced an engine fire shortly after take-off, declared
an emergency and returned to the airport. No one was injured in the
accident.

Earned Three New Contracts In March

Over the past month, CAE signed contracts to design and
manufacture three full-flight simulators (FFSs) and associated CAE
Simfinity training devices valued at C$33 million at list prices.
The contracts are with first time simulation equipment customers
Avianca Airlines and Sofia Flight Training, as well as Emirates-CAE
Flight Training (ECFT).

Talk about a purpose-built aircraft. The Erickson Aircrane is the epitome of a machine built for one thing, and one thing only -- to HAUL nearly anything that can fit under its massive frame. Yet for a helicopter with such a singular purpose, the Aircrane is an incredibly versatile vehicle... performing fire suppression, civil protection, construction, and timber harvesting missions, among other tasks no other aircraft could perform in quite the same way.

MLX780 Upgrade Available To Existing 770s

In addition to news of its ADS-B capable TAS600A traffic
alerting system announced at AEA 2009, Avidyne also traveled to
Germany this week... where the company took the wraps off its new
MLX780 Iridium-based transceiver at AERO Friedrichshafen. The new
device provides worldwide airborne satellite telephone service, as
well as two-way datalink weather capability.

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Privatization Effort Stalls In Economic Crisis

The City of Chicago,
which is expecting a big payday when private investors take
over Midway Airport (MDW), has given lead
investor Citi Infrastructure Investors another six months to raise
the cash to pay for the 99-year lease.

Says It Will 'Mercilessly Shoot Them Down'

To Be Led By As-Yet Unnamed General

Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana has been picked as the new
home of the Air Force's Global Strike Command, which will oversee
most of the military's nuclear bomber fleet and strategic ballistic
missile operations, the Air Force announced Thursday.

Klyde Meets A Wide-Eyed Pilot Hopeful...

Founder Of Avionics Company Has Twice Served As Int'l Officer
For Group

The annual convention and show of the Aircraft Electronics
Association officially got underway in Dallas Thurday, and one of
the first agenda items was the award of the 2009 AEA Lifetime
Achievement Award.

Aero-Terms!

"Either name that node after me, or I too will reject
democracy and seize power as space's evil tyrant overlord. Ball's
in your court."

Source: Comedian Stephen Colbert, who has
campaigned to get various things named after him... including Node
3 of the International Space Station. His write-in campaign to get
NASA to name the new station assembly after himself drew 230,000
votes in NASA's online contest, more than any other name... but it
seems unlikely the agency will accept the results of the
non-binding contest... right?